Safety cut-out for electric lamps



(No Model.)

A. N. LOVELAOE. SAFETY OUT-OUT FOR ELEGTRIG LAMPS.

No. 598,783. Patented Feb. 8, 1898.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED NOTT LOVELACE, OF KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE.

SAFETY CUT-OUT FOR ELECTRIC LAMPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 598,733, dated February8, 1898.

Application filed June 12,1897. $e1'ia1 No. 640,551. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALFRED No'rr Lovn- LACE, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Knoxville, in the county of Knox and State ofTennessee, have invented anew and useful Safety Out-Out for ElectricLamps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to safety cut-outs for electric lamps; and it hasfor its object to provide a simple and efficient cut-out of thischaracter that is specially designed to be suspended by thehanging-cord, together with the lamp,at a convenient distance abovethe'fioor, and thereby dispensing with the usual overhead or ceilingcut-out, which is very inconvenient to reach when the fuse burns out.

To this end the main and primary object of the invention is to constructa safety cutout, which may be properly termed a drop cut-out orfuse-box, which is constructed with special reference to being hung fromthe electric cord, while at the same time contemplating simple andefficient means for the quick and convenient replacing of the fuse-wireswhen the latter are burned out.

With these and other objects in view,which will readily appear as thenature of the invention is better understood,the same consists in thenovel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinaftermore fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a general perspective view showing a safetycut-out constructed in accordance with this invention and arranged inits operative position. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the fuse-box with thefusecarryinglid removed. Fig. 3 is a similar view of the inner side ofthe fuse-carrying lid for the box. Fig. 4 is a sectional view on theline 4 4 of Fig. 2 with the lid of the box in position. Fig. 5 is across-sectional view on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the numeral 1 designates a fusebox or base hollowed at one side for the reception of certain parts ofthe cut-out, and said box or base is made of porcelain, vulcanizedrubber, or other suitable non-conducting material. The fuse box or base1 is provided at one side with a central longitudinal partition-strip2,which divides the interior of the box or base into separatecompartments 3, so that the contacts for each wire will be thoroughlyseparated and insulated to prevent short circuiting. The box 1 isfurther provided at opposite side edges with offstanding inturnedretainingflanges 4, which are adapted to slidably embrace the oppositeside edges of the removable fuse-carrying lid 5, which conforms to theshape and size of the box and serves as a lid or cover for the open sidethereof, said lid 5 being capable of being readily slid in and out ofengagement with the offstanding sideretaining flanges 4 of the boxproper.

A pair of alined metallic contact-springs 6 is secured to the inner sideof the box 1 within each compartment 3 at each side of the longitudinalpartition 2 of the box. The contact-springs 6 of each pair are arrangedin longitudinal alinement at a suitable distance apart, and are securedat one end to the box 1 by means of the screw-bolts 7 ,passing throughthe box and having binding-nuts 8 on their inner threaded extremities,which bindingnuts also serve as binding-post connections for securingthe wire-terminals in contact with the springs 6. The free ends of thecontact-springs 6 are curved, as at 9, and normally project slightlybeyond the edge of the partition-strip 2, so as to firmly contact withthe fiat metallic contact-plates 10, that are secured flat against theinner side of the lid 5 by means of securing-bolts 11, which carry attheir inner ends the binding-nuts 12, which also serve to bind theterminals of the short fuse-wires 13 against the surfaces of the plates10. It will also be observed that the pressure of the springs 6 againstthe plates 10 serves to firmly hold the lid 5 against accidentaldisplacement.

There are two pairs of metallic contactplates 10 secured to the innerside or face of the lid 5 and arranged, respectively, at the oppositesides of the longitudinal center of the lid in correspondence with thearrangement of the contact-springs 6, and the plates 10 of each pair ofsuch plates are arranged in longitudinal alinement and metallicallyconnected in the manner described by means of the short fusible wires13, which may be readily replaced when burned out by loosening thebinding-nuts 12. When the lid 5 is placed over the open side of thefuse-box, under the retaining-flanges 4 thereof, the con tact-plateswill press firmly against the rounded or curved ends 9 of the springs 6,so that each pair of such springs will be metallically connected in thelighting-circuit by means of one of the short fuse-Wires 13,which whenburned out immediately breaks the circuit and prevents injury to thedynamo.

The separated contact-springs 6 at one end of the fuse-box haveconnected thereto by means of the binding-nuts 8 the separate lamp-wiresa a, respectively, which lampwires lead from the ordinary key-socket ofan electric lamp 16, while the separated contact-springs 6 at theopposite end of the fuse-box have respectively connected therewith thetwo terminals of the hanging or drop cord b for the lamp, which cord hasits opposite terminals connected in the usual way with the mainfeed-wires o c, which are usually strung on the ceiling.

In the event of the current becoming shortcircuited the wires 13 willbecome fused and thereby immediately interrupt or cut out the circuitfrom the dynamo, so as to prevent injury to the dynamo, and to replacethe fusewires 13 it is simply necessary to remove the lid 5 withoutdisturbing the fuse-box proper or its connections.

The many advantages of the herein-described cnt-out will be readilyapparent to those skilled in the art, and it will bereadily understoodthat various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details ofconstruction may be resorted to without departing from the principle orSacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent, is-

In a safety cut-out, a fuse-box provided at opposite side edges withinturned retainingflanges and with a central longitudinalpartition-strip, a pair of alined contact-springs arranged at each sideof the partition-strip and having curved free ends normally projectedbeyond the edge thereof, a removable lid slidably engaging beneath saidflanges, and separate pairs of alined contact-plates fitted to the innerside of the lid and connected by short fuse-wires, said contact-platesbeing engaged by the curved free ends of said springs which exert apressure thereagainst, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in 5 5 the presence of two witnesses.

ALFRED NOTT LOVELAOE.

WVitnesses:

ROY J. Scorr, CHAs. GLENN.

